The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-14
"TEN MINUTES BY THE CLOCK"
Some Advice to Youthful Writers Which
They Would DO Well to- Consider.

They Would Well to- Consider.
=. X. Wetherill, in the Critic.
1t is liberal education to look over an edi-
tors daily batch of contrIbutions-or. at least,
1t gives a mournful and instructive insight into
thy folly of human nature.
One writer states that he is ''only fifteen" as
though his youth were a recommendation from
literary point of view; and adds that 1.-The
closed poem is original from his pen." Another
writes that the lyric sent is her first attempt.
A third, in a letter accompanying four of five
wretched verses. remarks with evident pride,
clock. Still fourth writes, Il would like to
be regular contributor to your paper. and
think could do WE'LL to talent, those
who now fill its columns. All / want is encur-
ragemept" Another opens his tale with
evening scene. and consclentiously puts all the
objects in nature to bed, before beginning with
the story proper What malign demon-what
limp of the perverse can instIgate such people
to attempt authorship But the perpetrators of
these absurdities not more irritating than
the tireless producers of mediocre stuff that does
not afford one even the relief of contemptuous
laugh.
Is the day at hand when the writing, of
poetry shall be made punishable offense2
Could the terrors of the ''nky mania be lessened
by the imposition of a tax-something like the
dog-tax. for instaucel Or might be
appointed to decide upon the amount of brains
requisite to entitle any to engage In literary
pursuits-as. in certain parts of Germany.
man is not allowed to marry unless he
prove that he has certain income. 1t is pity
that a law cannot be enacted forbidding persons.
under certain age to publish their writings.
The avenues which lead to literary recognition
would not, then, be choked with ubblsh. and
the toIing readers who pass upon manuscript
would be in better condition to discriminate.
In speaking to friend of the remarkable and
immediate success of new writer, the reply
was made to ''And why is thisl Because
she has spent years in reading aud studying and
observing before attempting to publish any
thing" She had displayed a self-control not
possessed by one in hundred of Der craft. She
realized that. If she desired to gain a hearing.
she must offer the very best to the public: for
tIAv0 6nu fn0 fox and
many clever people IN the world. That is to
say, there too few people who read books,
and too many who write them.
Parents and guardians should make it their
duty to prevent the young people under their
control from trying to publish early. 1t seems
like relic OF the dark ages to read, in parenthe
sis, under the title of poem printed by popu-
lar weekly, Written at the age of sixteen"
boy girl of so few years can have little to
say that will be worth stopping TO hear. They
saturate themselves with the writings of their
favorite authors, and, having stock OF expe-
rienee to draw upon, must necessarily be echoes
and reflections of what they have read. Having
suffered nothing, the heart they are so eager to
display to the world is
Just an embryo's heart that never beat
The mind of a young person who has read ON
niverously, con tains a tremendous mass of undi-
gested information, and though there may be
beautiful and useful things amid the confusion.
they hard to discern. The young genius has
but recently come into a world full OF marve!s.
and does not realize that it is he that is new,
and not the things he sees His artless
outcries of wonder and delight and pain
are very natural; but not entertaining
to the public. He is fond of hasty methods.
and, fancying that everything can be
struck out at white heat. he teaches the editor
what hard reading writing is Full of the
impatience of youth. he seems incapable of
Outstanding that the thought must enter the
mind and remain buried there-that must
terminate and take root before it pierces to the
light, as the seed needs the dark delay of winter
hours to make it bloom. 1t would be to his ad-
vantage to realize that, when says of any
piece of literature, this is good considering the
age of the writer" the stamp of inferiority has
been set upon it. A work of art needs to have
no allowances made for it; for art has neither
sex nor age.